Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[puppysparkes]

Courtesy of a Jetconnect crew member yesterday. All I did was to assist with some broken glass.

 

[Steady]

My favourite from Devils Corner

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Best sparkling of the day..
Wonderful host and really really good sparkling
Thanks RF

 

[blackcat20]

It's been champagne central this week, though I'm looking forward to diving into the Reds now we're in Italy.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Well done bc and Tommy - I tips me hat to you - great post.

 

[beefarmer]

If it wasn't for the huge TWE blowout I've just had (I've just put my money where my wine tasting/opineing mouth was, and acquired a number of Penfold's Magill Estate 13, Wynn's Michael 12 and Lindeman's St George 13), I would be on the serious hunt for:

the Gemtree Vineyards Uncut Shiraz 2012

View attachment 73173

What a fabulous wine, defying its pay station:

2012 Gemtree Vineyards Shiraz Uncut, Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale - CellarTracker

http://www.vivino.com/wines/7465660

"I think this may be my best under $20 Shiraz! What a regal wine, especially with the French oak notes that sing through the whole taste experience. This Shiraz is produced from organic, low yielding vineyards in the McLaren Vale with minimal winemaking intervention. Halliday gave it 95 saying it was a McLaren Vale powerhouse.

The nose and palate sync beautifully as rich dark berries, sage, salty hoy sin sauce, smoked dried meats, dark chocolate and fine pepper and spices fill the senses. The palate is med-bodied, smooth, lifting and slightly drying at the end. Drink now or up to 2022. Fantastic wine that punches well above its price point. A well deserved Wozza 95/100 (4.2/5.0) from me."

I picked this up last year from WineMarket using one of the 20% promotion codes and one of those time-limited 10% cash back promotions, paying a hugely undervalued c.$11 a bottle at the time. For those that haven't blown the wine budget, you might want to check out the following WineMarket link to the 2012 (especially if the EOFY promo codes get generous):

Gemtree Shiraz | 2012 Uncut - WineMarket

Wozza , it sounds like a stunner. I also think you were watching Masterchef at the time. How would your review have sounded if you were knocking this down during Friday night Footy?

Just as good I think.

 

[Tannin]

the Gemtree Vineyards Uncut Shiraz 2012

Interestingly, Halliday gave 2012 vintage 95 and 2013 vintage 94; Whereas Campbell Mattinson gave 2012 vintage 93 and 2013 vintage 94. Believe your preferred reviewer. Details here:

https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_903872/gemtree-uncut-shiraz

Great value for score ratio on this one.

 

[ste667]

Interestingly, Halliday gave 2012 vintage 95 and 2013 vintage 94; Whereas Campbell Mattinson gave 2012 vintage 93 and 2013 vintage 94. Believe your preferred reviewer. Details here:

https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_903872/gemtree-uncut-shiraz

Great value for score ratio on this one.

Picked up a case of the 13 during the recent cellarmasters voucher frenzy for less than $10 per bottle. Gotta be one of the best vfm purchases of late.

I think I prefer the 12 fwiw.

 

[blackcat20]

Well done bc and Tommy - I tips me hat to you - great post.

And that's not even all of them!

 

[Whodoesthat]

A couple of Shiraz predominant blends that I really enjoyed this week.
Ben Glaetzer Godolphin 2005 - Inky as...dense black fruits...well balanced for a big wine.



Lake Breeze Bernoota 2004 - -This really took me by surprise...ridiculously good, balanced ....complete. Still plenty in the tank for years to come. Shame it's the last. Massive QPR and shows you don't have to spend up big.

 

[Wozza]

Wozza , it sounds like a stunner. I also think you were watching Masterchef at the time. How would your review have sounded if you were knocking this down during Friday night Footy?

Just as good I think.

This will sound strange, Beefarmer - but neither of our two TVs in the house are connected to mainstream or cable TV. The chances of me watching Master Chef (thankfully!) and the Footy (sadly!) are low. But I catch your drift. This Uncut 12 did have some strong legs and some power! But it was more Les Bleus than our Aussie footy teams!

Interestingly, Halliday gave 2012 vintage 95 and 2013 vintage 94; Whereas Campbell Mattinson gave 2012 vintage 93 and 2013 vintage 94. Believe your preferred reviewer. Details here:

https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_903872/gemtree-uncut-shiraz

Great value for score ratio on this one.

Totally agree - great value. Interesting score differences, electrotek. I respect both reviewer's opinions, and don't mind they have come to slightly different conclusions on the two vintages. That's part of the fun for me - discerning the different opinions and knowing how I will relate to the wine based on those opinions.

Picked up a case of the 13 during the recent cellarmasters voucher frenzy for less than $10 per bottle. Gotta be one of the best vfm purchases of late.

I think I prefer the 12 fwiw.

Wow, less than $10 a bottle. That does make me feel for the winery and winemaker, though. They deserve better than that in my opinion. Good buying though, ste667. Very smart.

 

[Wozza]

My appreciation for Penfolds is growing by the day. I must admit, I was one of their detractors. At least on the value for money front. Not on the taste experience front. But a few recent Penfolds have really grabbed me over the last few weeks, and are starting to shift my long held beliefs (at least for some of the Penfolds range).

Last night, I was at our school parents coughtail party. BYO was the order of the night. And somebody generously brought along a 2009 Bin 28. What a great wine:

2009 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna, Australia, South Australia - CellarTracker

http://www.vivino.com/users/8818052/activities/114045870

"Already so much class for this Bin 28 2009. Still named in honour of the famous Barossa Valley, Kalimna Vineyard - the original source for this now Aussie icon, multi-region, multi-vineyard Shiraz blend. The Penfolds tasting note says dry and warm conditions and lower than average yields led to strong, structural tannins, and a wine of great intensity and encouraging flavour. And that genesis is still evident 7 yrs later.

It was interesting trying this Shiraz side by side with its younger sibling, the Bin 28 2013. You could pick the family traits, albeit the 7 yrs of bottle age has given this 09 a real step up in drinking experience. There was the same thick and mouth-coating palate, the same primary fruits of plums, blackberries and blueberries. But the length and velvety feel were supreme. And the secondary characters were singing in great harmony with those concentrated fruit flavours, with cured meats, char, and sweet oaked spices.

Right in its drinking window for me. But with another 5 yrs easily left in it, depending on how aged you like your Shiraz. And great value here too for a Penfolds. A well deserved Wozza 95.5/100 (4.3/5.0) from me."

Somebody (maybe the same person) also brought the latest Bin 28 - the 2013. It was great to try them side by side. There was so much shared DNA between the two vintages. I was really impressed. My tasting note is here: http://www.vivino.com/users/8818052/activities/114044950. It wasn't until I tried one of my contributions for the night - the Innocent Bystander Syrah 2014 - that I realised the gulf in class between what is a fairly decent quaffer and the 28s.

The other wine that really grabbed me was the latest Magill Estate - the 2013. Now this really did shift my preconceptions. As I was not expecting such a nice wine. I was convinced paying over $100 for it was wasteful. But I was wrong and ended up buying a few bottles to drink in a decade or so:

2013 Penfolds Shiraz Magill Estate, Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Plains - CellarTracker

http://www.vivino.com/users/8818052/activities/112321167

"TWEs CellarDoor Members Evening (Jun 16): Best wine I tried on the night. Beautiful, with such promise for 10 yrs time. This is one of Penfold's special single vineyard Shiraz's, sourced and made at the first Penfolds site, est. in 1844 by Mary Penfold and husband, Christopher Rawson.

The nose is sublime, other worldly as sweet noughart, liquorice, blackberries, raspberries, plums and spices lead into a pristine medium-bodied palate, with fine line and length. Good value too at this price point. A Wozza 96.5/100 (4.5/5.0) from me (with more surely to come)."

Glad to have been drinking humble Penfolds pie!

Fuller blog post here: http://Penfolds humble pie! I must admit. I am one of those Penfolds detractors. Who bemoans the value for money of many Penfolds. But not on the taste front. As Penfolds very … https://2blokesintrouble.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/penfolds-humble-pie/

 

[penegal]

I have been pretty lazy with this thread lately.

Yesterday I had these grand plans of waking up early and driving to market to my favourite butcher to buy a leg of lamb for tonight. Of course after a 3 hour segment from SYD to MEL on the QF 332 (and about 12 glasses of Woodlands Cab Merlot) the night before I decided to take a more relaxed morning and ended up at the local butcher and local green grocer.

---

In any case, I had no plans to buy chicken, but saw the pre-fabricated Chicken Kiev which was just asking to be purchased and immediately cooked & consumed, so I knocked up some roast pumpkin, roast potato and steamed [almost same day fresh] beans for dinner.

Naturally I needed a wine to go with this, so a Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2013 seemed like a good idea, and had the added benefit of already being in the fridge. It's like it was meant to be.

Well - the first glass was probably too cold, especially given the ambient temperature, so I left the bottle out at room temperature while I was cooking and the second glass was perfect. This wine is well structured and balanced; and much to my enjoyment, displays those lovely buttery oaky characteristics reminiscent of Margaret River. I know Chardy can be quite a divisive grape with the ABC club, but this is one beautiful wine, and was quite friendly with the food.

At $41 on VM with free shipping, this is one purchase I am quite content with. Sure, you might have been able to stack coupons and get it slightly cheaper, but it's a very robust wine at a fair price.

 

[penegal]

And yes - my food tastes better than it looks...

 

[Daver6]

Had the Barolo on Wednesday night with dinner. The other two are today's delights. Need something with lunch and then the Champagne should help inspire some holiday planning during the afternoon.

 

[beefarmer]

Lake Breeze is one of my all time favourite wineries, and their Bernoota at under a twenty is sensational buying. Greg Follett is such a great winemaker and I love the way he experiments a little with the Bernoota. He loves his Shiraz and tries to yank that up as much as possible in this blend. The 2009 Bernoota is probably my pick from the last 5 to 8 vintages, but this 2004 sounds great. Get yourself some Barossan Shotfire Quartage and you will also be suitably impressed. I got interested in Lake Breeze when I won a footy bet for an under twenty dollar bottle of red on the last game of the season between the Mighty Kangaroos and the Hawks many many years ago. The rest they say is history. I also have put away their premium blend called Arthurs Reserve. Sells for about thirty five, which when you consider what Greg does to it, the price is stunning. I have not yet tried any of them but the tasting and comparison with the little sibling Bernoota will come.

 

[drron]

I also enjoyed a Penfolds last night-

.

 

[Whodoesthat]

Howard Park Chardonnay 2004.......I cop a bit of flack from my anti-chardy mates.. but when it's good ..it is well...really good.
Lovely honey straw hue with bottle age....and whammo...citrus, lemon in particular....turning to grapefruit tang. Great acidity , which I like, followed by a long zesty , slight buttery finish. Very nice.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Amongst random Vinomofo quaffers, the following were had the AC household over the past week:



- Domaine William Fevre Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2011 - ah, so this is what Chablis tastes like. So unlike Australian chardonnary (or even other stuff I've had from Burgundy). Full of earthy, minerality - even flinty flavours, with an underlay of fruit, without the buttery-ness you see in Aussie stuff.

- Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba 2008 - great Barolo - probably my second favourite so far (since I started my epic journey a couple of months ago! I guess all journeys start with single steps). Ruby red with bright fruits like strawberries and sweetish cherries. Medium- tannins. Quite smooth on the palate. A joy to drink with some Italian that evening

- Kanonkop Estate Stellanbosch Pinotage 2013 - I haven't had a bottle of pinotage since leaving Singapore ~4 years ago, and just started looking around for some on a whim. Deep-red colour. Medium bodied, with plum fruits and spice. Vanillan oak in the background. Medium+ tannins starting to smooth. A bit of a sharp aftertaste. Something that I think will improve with age. A 2013 is still a baby

- Yeringberg Cabernet blend 2004 - everything I love about Bordeaux style blends. Cork still in excellent condition, and the drinking is "oh so smooth" now. Fruit still present but receding, exposing the other flavours - woodiness, earthiness, some mustiness. Tannins very well integrated - velvety on the palate.

Tonight ended being, by coincidence a Margaret River Cabernet taste-off. Both 2010, both 95 Halliday points. Both Margaret River straight Cabernet. Even the bottle heights were only a couple of mm apart:



Capel Vale The Scholar Single Vineyard 2010 vs. Sandalford Estate Reserve 2010. For mine the Capel Vale was more earthy, with the fruit still quite tight, and grippy tannins. The Sandalford opened quicker, to expose the dark fruits, and had smoother tannins. Both could probably do with more airing time before drinking, and both definitely with more years in cellaring. Sandalford probably more approachable at this stage.

Edit: the Sandalford has definitely opened more over the evening - there's more sweetness, which are obscuring the tannins. Definitely an interesting development. It's been good to have the two side-by-side.

 

[Kjav]

AC - thanks for your Sandalford '10 notes! I had the '10 and '09 last weekend, and the '09 had very little fruit, lots more cedar. Strange how one vintage a difference made!